State Fair of Texas gives fans first crack at fried food awards tickets

State Fair of Texas offers first crack at fried food awards tickets

Is it already time to start thinking about the food at the State Fair of Texas?
Photo by Kevin Brown/State Fair of Texas

There is more big fried food news from the State Fair of Texas, which is now selling tickets to the Big Tex Choice Awards, on sale August 1. The tickets are available for purchase online at BigTex.com/Tickets.

The awards take place on Sunday, August 28, at 2 pm in the Tower Building at Fair Park. Tickets are $100, and there's a limited number of seats available.

The State Fair began opening the awards to the public in 2014. Attendees get to watch the judging and the announcement of the winner, as well as sample entries from the finalists.

The State Fair has broken tradition in 2016 by sharing an early peek at the semifinalists, which are chosen by name and concept only. Out of 55 total entries, 34 semifinalists, with names such as Holy Guacamole Balls and State Fair Cookie Fries, were selected.

All proceeds from the Big Tex Choice Awards ceremony will be donated to the State Fair of Texas Youth Scholarship Program. A portion of each ticket is tax-deductible.

General admission tickets are also for sale at $18; tickets for children and seniors are $16. You can save $2 on general admission by purchasing tickets online. General admission would be $16, while children under 48 inches in height and seniors age 60 and older are $14. Children age 2 and under get in free.

Coupons are also for sale online.

The fair is implementing new ticketing features as well. In addition to ordering tickets online and getting them mailed to your home, as of September 1, you can print tickets at home. You can also buy tickets on your smartphone and access them immediately after purchase.

This new option allows you to complete every step of the purchasing process on your smartphone and have your phone scanned at the entry gate.

Wait, there's more. You can also buy coupon vouchers online starting September 1. Like purchasing a ticket online, you can either print coupon vouchers at home or buy them on your smartphone and have them sent directly to your phone.

With coupons priced at 50 cents each, vouchers will be sold in $50 increments (100 coupons). You can then exchange your voucher for hard coupons by visiting special designated booths.

Tickets will still be available for purchase at all State Fair admission gates, starting September 30. The fair runs through October 23.